Ai Chats for Parts

Updated July 22, 2025

Parts Chats with Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini.

To enable the Ai Chats an AI Chat Request Template is required.

See Parts > Configuration > Ai Chat Ask Template.

Example Templates for Ai Chat Requests:

Gemini Search DigiKey and Mouser for Part Number, include URL links, Alternate Part URLs, RoHS status, stock and price ranking. Include a Link for Octopart.

Copilot Search DigiKey and Mouser for Part Number, include URL links, Alternate Part URLs, RoHS status, stock and price ranking. Include a Link for Octopart. Please begin the Conversation Name with Part Number.

Tips:

Copy and Paste one the above Chat Requests or Create your own.

To start a Chat Select a Part Number or Description in Parts then Click on | Ai Chat |

Requirements:

The Chat must begin with Copilot or Gemini and contain the keyword Part Number.

The Part Number in the Template will be replaced with the selected Part Number or Description. 

The Chat Ask Template is limited to 255 characters.

That's It !

Share Access Databases on Cloud Drives - Don't Do it !

Here's a breakdown of why sharing an Access database directly on OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive is problematic and what alternatives to consider:

Why it's not recommended:

• Synchronization Issues:

  OneDrive synchronizes files by downloading and uploading the entire file. When multiple users are working on the same Access database, this can lead to conflicts and overwrites as each user's changes are synced.
• Performance Degradation:

  Opening and saving the entire database file repeatedly can cause significant performance issues, especially with larger databases.
• Potential for Data Corruption:

  The frequent syncing and potential conflicts can lead to data corruption and loss. 

Recommendations:

1. 1. Split the Database:

   • Divide the Access database into a front-end (containing user interface elements like forms, reports, and queries) and a back-end (containing the data tables). 
   • Place the back-end on a shared network location (like a shared folder on a server or a NAS drive). 
   • Each user can then have a copy of the front-end on their local machine. 
   • This allows multiple users to work with the database concurrently without directly interfering with each other's changes.
2. 2. Consider Cloud-Based Database Services:
3. • Cloud hosted MySQL database solutions offer scalable and reliable alternatives. 
   • These services are designed to handle concurrent access and data management efficiently. 
   • They can be more complex to set up initially but offer long-term benefits for larger or more complex databases.In summary, while OneDrive can be convenient for sharing various file types, it's not the right tool for sharing Access databases due to synchronization and performance limitations. Splitting the database and using a cloud-based database solution is a better option for multi-user database sharing.

Parts is a split Access Database with a front-end application that supports both Local Access databases and remote cloud hosted MySQL databases.

Contact Parts for an online demo or to discuss how to create a shared Altium database library.

Randy Clemmons

How to Enable Excel Macros for *.xlsm Files on OneDrive

This post is being made in the hopes that it will save some other people time that are still looking for a fix, or will be looking for a fix in the future.

1. Open Excel

2. Navigate to Trust Center Settings

   1. Developer > Macro Security OR

   2. File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings

3. Go to Trusted Locations

4. Click "add new location" and put https://d.docs.live.net in the text box that pops up.

   1. Be sure to click the checkbox "Subfolders of this location are also trusted"

5. Click Ok and restart excel.

Note, this will trust all macros of all files in your OneDrive, so I recommend taking the appropriate security steps to ensure you're only saving files in OneDrive (that you want to open in app, at least) that you trust.

Source: 

Solution: Enabling Macros on Workbooks from OneDrive

Reddit · r/excel

60+ comments · 2 years ago